Overheating can cause computer and electronic systems to fail or suffer a decrease in performance. Thermal management for computer and electronics equipment is, therefore, a significant concern. Ever increasing processor speeds, circuit board densities, and form factor densities have exacerbated the problem of thermal management by increasing the amount of heat that can be generated by computer systems or other electronics systems. In a conventional computer or electronics system, heat generated by various components of the system is often removed through convective cooling of the various individual components, or of commonly housed components using a chassis cooling system. Frequently, computer or electronics systems are cooled using forced convention. In a forced convection cooling system a fan may be used to circulate air within a housing or chassis of the computer or electronics system. In many systems, the fan may be used to force the intake of air from the exterior of the computer or electronics system, and to pass the air through the housing or chassis, and exhaust heated air from housing or chassis.
While forced convection cooling systems may provide adequate cooling of the computer or electronics system, the cooling needs of the system are not always constant. Increases in power consumption by components, for example resulting from increases in processor usage demands, etc., may result in an increase in the heat generated by a computer or electronics systems. The increase in the heat generated by the computer or electronics system may typically result in an increase in the amount of heat that must be dissipated. Similarly, increases in ambient temperature, etc. may result in a decrease in the cooling efficiency achieved through convective cooling. Designing a cooling system capable of accommodating these varying cooling capacities is often problematic. A cooling system designed to provide adequate cooling during adverse conditions will be inefficient during typical operation, wasting energy and causing excessive acoustic pollution. However, if the cooling system is only designed for typical cooling requirements, the cooling system may be unable to provide adequate cooling during adverse conditions, such as high processor demands or high ambient temperatures, especially over prolonged periods of time. Insufficient cooling capacity may result in damage to the computer or electronics systems, or components and/or diminution in performance of the computer or electronics system.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be broadly viewed.